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A Spring Awakening in A Chicken Soup

March 16th 2009

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San Francisco is finally, finally seeing some warmer weather. We haven’t had the worst of winters, but I’m always happy to bid adieu to rains and chilly temperatures (even if they’ll come back every once in a while). Spring to me is an awakening. A lengthening of the days that extends into late evening glasses of wine, and more open toed shoes, calling for more pedicures.

I’m a May baby, so naturally, Spring is my favorite time of the year. It’s that little sneak peek at summer. It’s like a first bite of the season’s first strawberry. You know what you’re in for for the rest of the summer.

My strawberries are seemingly still being imported from Mexico, but we’re close. So close. As the warmer weather starts rolling in, the meals we make will inevitably start becoming lighter. During one of the last chillier weeks, though, I indulged in a Mexican-inspired soup that will just about close out your winter.

I took my inspiration from this simple soup from The Kitchn. The original recipe called for fried tortilla strips, which I omitted. I also ended up using a yam instead of a sweet potato (whoops!). Being a big fan of sharp cheddar, I shredded a heavy hand of it over the whole thing. In general, you could really use any ingredients you have on hand –regular potatoes, canned tomatoes, etc. I had earlier in week made some roasted chicken breasts on the bone, so the leftovers were perfect for this soup.

1. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a small pot and add the potato pieces. Lower heat to simmer and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.

2. In a big pot, heat the butter and the olive oil. Add in the diced onion, and cook it until it’s soft, but not browned. Add the minced garlic, salt and pepper, and cumin. Stir around and cook for another minute or two.

3. Pour in the chicken stock, add the chicken, squeeze the lime in, add in tomatoes, potatoes and about a 1/3 cup of cilantro. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes.

4. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with cilantro, cheese and avocado. (Might want to add some sour cream, too).

Musical Pairings: Burial and Roasted Chicken SoupMarch is the heart of the rainy season here in San Francisco. It can be a depressing time if not dealt with properly. Enjoying a bowl of hot, chicken soup can be one sure fire way to awaken your spirits on a cold, rainy day, and Kasey’s Mexican style chicken soup is a nice tasty alternative to the potentially boring traditional chicken soup. If you are looking for an equally creative musical pairing for your rainy day meal, I can highly recommend Burial’s Untrue. Burial is an anonymous dub-step producer from London who has worked with folks such as Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Bloc Party. Untrue is his sophomore album–it’s simply breathtaking. Ghostly vocal loops, ambient vinyl crackle, and intimate rolling rhythms blend together to form a sonically rich album that you’ll want to listen to from start to finish on your next rainy day or late night drive.

Thanks to Stereo/Paste you can check out the excellent track Etched Headphones and Burial’s remix of Bloc Party’s Where is Home. -Matthew

Kasey is the food editor and co-founder of Turntable Kitchen. She loves dark chocolate, warm crusty bread, and traveling to new places. She speaks Russian, but does not like vodka.

http://www.blogger.com/profile/09405010813656127667 Sara

I am so glad that it’s finally starting to warm up around here! I even found pea shoots at the farmer’s market, I was quite excited. The soup looks delicious.

http://www.blogger.com/profile/01398645621540726831 AnticiPlate

I love San Francisco! It is so great to have found your blog. This soup looks delicious. Do you ever see the ballet in SF?

http://www.blogger.com/profile/05641448576726538534 Kasey

AnciPlate-I’m glad you discovered my blog, too I’ve actually haven’t seen a lot of ballet in San Francisco–though I am seeing Wicked this Friday!

http://www.blogger.com/profile/06550904844767262868 Matthew

And – we are seeing the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersberg in May in Berkeley!

Matty D

Thank you very much for this recipe. My girlfriend and I have had a history of bad luck making soups, and this was the first one we made that our expectations were far surpassed We added roasted corn to ours and it was awesome!

http://www.turntablekitchen.com Kasey

Hey Matty that’s great! I’m so happy the soup worked out for you and your girlfriend. The addition of corn is a great idea!